Neil Acourt, who was charged with Stephen’s murder but never convicted, has admitted his role in a drugs racket.

He was part of a gang that shipped huge quantities of cannabis into north-east England.

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TEEN VICTIM: Stephen Lawrence was just 18 when he was stabbed to death by a racist mob in 1993

“Vose is father-in-law of Stuart. [He] made a number of trips from south-east England to South Shields, the prosecution say taking cannabis”

Sarah Przybylska

After admitting their guilt earlier this year it can now be reported that Neil Acourt, 40, of Bexley, southeast London, his father-inlaw Jack Vose, 62, of south-east London and five other men were involved in drug-running between 2014 and 2016.

Police had photographed the gang at a string of meet-ups as they dropped off the goods around the north-east.

A man accused of being a point of contact for the dealers in the north-east, 46- year-old Alan Gudgeon, was acquitted after a jury at Kingston Crown Court failed to reach a verdict.

Acourt, who now goes by the name Neil Stuart, pleaded guilty to supplying the Class B drug.

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RELEASED: A man involved with the dealers was acquitted at Kingston Crown Court

Sarah Przybylska, prosecuting Gudgeon, said: “The prosecution case is that one of the leaders was Stuart.

“Vose is father-in-law of Stuart.

“[He] made a number of trips from south-east England to South Shields, the prosecution say taking cannabis.”

The entire drug dealing gang, including Acourt, will be sentenced in November.

Stephen Lawrence was just 18 years old when he was stabbed to death by a racist mob in Eltham, south-east London, in 1993.